Carnegie Library renovation vote planned

Council poised to issue opt-out resolution

May 16, 2012

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With the intent to move forward with resolution drafting, representatives from the Dell Rapids Carnegie Library Board met with the city council last week to begin the process of sending a bond to public vote.

The board’s intent is to utilize an opt-out resolution with the city to put funding the planned renovations to the library to a special election this summer.

The council will likely vote on a resolution for the opt-out at the June 4 meeting, which will include a public hearing on the proposal. The library board is hoping for a July 17 or 24 election.

“It’s not a project that’s come out of nowhere,” library board member Tom Earley said. “We need to do it, and it needs to get started this year – there’s no doubt about that.”

The project is estimated to take a total of 10-11 months, according to estimates from Short Elliott Hendricksen (SEH).

With this method of bonding, the opt-out, voters would need to approve the measure with 50 percent of the vote, plus one – a simple majority.

A January report from the library board said that the group had raised just about $1 million for the project in donations. The estimated total cost of the project is $1.7 million, including the approximately $300,000 for the relocation of utilities below street level on the site.

With approximately $900,000 collected in donations and grants, the library board is preparing to move forward with an approximate $800,000 bond.

The method of borrowing in the proposed resolution is an annual appropriation lease agreement, which includes an annual payment of about $60,000, a 3.8 percent interest rate and a 20-year repayment plan.

The estimated taxpayer cost, valuation per property, would be $35 to $40 per $100,000, but that number could come in higher in the end, administrator Justin Weiland said. “Tonight’s the night that we’re going to say, ‘Okay – this is reality. We need to get moving on drafting regulations,’” Weiland said. “I think that’s the point. We need to get the public’s input to see if this is supported by the community.”

The rough schedule for the process includes the first notice of voter registration in mid- to late June, followed by a ballot publishing in mid-July. Voter registration deadline will be set for 15 days prior to the election date.